Hermanus

Hermanus
Panoramic view of Hermanus
Hermanus Show map of Western Cape Hermanus Show map of South Africa Hermanus Show map of Africa  Hermanus shown within Western Cape
Coordinates: 34°25′S 19°15′E / 34.417°S 19.250°E / -34.417; 19.250Coordinates: 34°25′S 19°15′E / 34.417°S 19.250°E / -34.417; 19.250
Country	South Africa
Province	Western Cape
District	Overberg
Municipality	Overstrand
Established	1891
Area
• Total	24.1 km2 (9.3 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	32,769
• Density	1,400/km2 (3,500/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
• Black African	55.9%
• Coloured	16.8%
• Indian/Asian	0.3%
• White	25.4%
• Other	1.6%
First languages (2011)
• Xhosa	46.3%
• Afrikaans	33.5%
• English	12.3%
• Sotho	1.8%
• Other	6.1%
Postal code (street)	7200
PO box	7200
Area code	028

Hermanus (originally called Hermanuspietersfontein, but shortened as the name was too long for the postal service), is a town on the southern coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is famous for southern right whale watching during the southern winter and spring and is a popular retirement town. The whales can be seen from the cliffs in the town centre as early as June and usually depart in early December. They were once hunted in the nearby town of Betty's Bay, but are now protected to ensure the survival of the species. The Old Harbour Museum contains several exhibitions that explain the whaling industry, and the De Wetshuis Photo Museum houses an exhibition of photos by T D Ravenscroft that depicts the history of Hermanus. The Whale Museum houses a skeleton of a whale and shows an audio-visual presentation of whales and dolphins twice daily.

Hermanus lies along Walker Bay on the south coast of the Western Cape. It is located about 115 km southeast of Cape Town and is connected to the Mother City by the R43 highway (or coastal R44 scenic route) and N2 motorway. The R43 continues to Cape Agulhas, the most southerly point of Africa. Hermanus is 40 km from Gansbaai, a famous spot where one can dive amongst the Great White Sharks. It is also notable that Hermanus still boasts a historic railway station building without a railway line. The founders of the town decided not to lay any tracks as this would have made Hermanus more commercial and felt that Hermanus needed to stay a small Fisherman's Village. To this day the locals still refer to it as "the village."

Sandbaai lies on the coast at the entrance to the Hemel-en-Aarde (Heaven and Earth) Valley. It is the most recently developed and fastest growing residential area of Greater Hermanus